Kristi Gustafson

In Doctrine and Covenants 25:10 the Lord instructs Emma to: "lay aside the things of this world and seek for the things of a better." As I read through this week's reading assignments, this scripture came to mind. How interesting that within an entrepreneur class, we are being taught to not prioritize our businesses at the top. Instead, we are taught that we should prioritize our faith and our family at the top. Just like Emma's council from the Lord to lay aside the things of this world and seek for the things of a better, we are learning that our family is a far more important legacy to invest in rather than our business.  I also found it interesting that we were told we should set rules to protect our family time, but we were not told what those rules should be. I think this was done intentionally because it is such a personal matter. What works for me might not work for my fellow students. Only though trial and error, prayer and meditation, and council within ou...

The BYU-Idaho talk given by Corey Bell titled: A Hero's Journey, will be something I will rewatch, save for young women's lessons, and shown to my daughters many times. It was that good. The topic covered was inspirational and broad reaching because it applies to everyone on earth. It is also a topic I think many of us are searching for answers for. The questions he poses are: How do I change the world? Do I really have what it takes? Do I have a special calling on earth? I have many thoughts and take aways to work on after watching this and I am going to list them all here to be held accountable to make sure I follow up. 1-I am going to ask five people that I know well what I do well. 2-I am going to write a letter to someone who I am grateful for and will read it to them. 3-I am going to ponder the questions: What problem was I put on the earth to fix? and When was the last time I lost track of time doing something I love? The last thought I do not want to forget from ...

When Tom Kelly spoke with the Stanford Technology Venture Program years ago, he emphasized, "Do what you love because you will be good at it and you will be willing to put in the extra work." He also referred to a talk given by Jim Collins who talked about three circles. The three circles were: What are you good at? What are you born to do? And what will people pay you to do. When they all interconnect, it will not only give you the answer of what to do with your life, but also how to find happiness doing it. He talked about how he was good at math, but was unhappy with the program in college. This reminded me of a story from Henry B. Eyering. His father was a brilliant and world renowned scientist. When Henry was in college doing a physics degree, he asked his father to help him with a complex mathematical problem. His father asked him, "When you walk down the street, when you're in the shower, when you don't have to be thinking about anything else, isn't th...

While reading through the book, Launching Leaders: An Empowering Journey for a New Generation , by Steven A. Hitz, I have become excited about his formula for success. They include: 1. Get up early 2. Work hard 3. Get your education 4. Find oil 5. Make your mark 6. Prepare to serve This is a game plan I am excited to implement in my life. This last week I decided to focus on number one. As I first read this formula, I thought I had already been living well within number one. I have a daughter in early morning seminary, which forces me to wake up earlier than I normally would. But as I read through the book, waking up early is not just the action of getting out of bed, but utilizing that time to get things accomplished. I have been waking up earlier than just rolling out of bed and jumping in the car in my pajamas to set set my day up for success. I have been reading my scriptures, meditating, and going through my tasks I need to complete. This has made a world of differen...